A tale of two dials, old 666 dial vs. recent spa re-dial.

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I posted about the return of this 1959 Inge 666 after a complete IWC spa treatment. IWC informed me that a reprint of the old pie pan was not possible and they offered to replace it with a similar (unfortunately non-pie pan) dial. I told them to go ahead but that I'd like the old dial back. Thankfully IWC had no problem with this request.

The replacement dial is OK but really doesn't hold up to the old dial in terms of the dial script. I think the old dial has a much finer, airy and elegant printing than the new one. Especially evident on the top half displaying the International Watch Company and Schaffhausen printing.

If my macro photography skills were better you would be able to see that the Ingenieur printing on the old dial has many serifs which are absent on the new dial.

What makes this all the more interesting (to me anyway) is that this old dial appears to be a redial. Please note the redialers notch at 3:00.

Perhaps this was a very old redial? Maybe IWC sent this dial back to the same dial printer who made the dial originally for the factory?

OK.....let the dial mavens weigh in! I'm all ears.

p.s. I may try to get some better macro shots in the future. I'm not happy with these as they give only the crudest representation of what I see under the loupe.

Personally --and I'm not expert here-- I've always considered the "redialer's notch" as the horolgical equivalent of an old wives' tale. I've seen plenty of redials without any notch and also several dials with a notch that clearly look original. If the notch is used to center a dial, that likewise could apply to original production.

Todd, so here's the thing. You took a otherwise not really wearable watch, got it to those WIZZARDS OF SCHAFFHUASEN who in turn did their magic, and restored that Inge into a really handsome and beautiful timepiece!

I like Michael don't necessarily believe that the original dial because of the notch, is a redial. Probably, only intensive comparison with other pie pan dials from "same era" Inge's will shed more light. So there's your particular variant of übervirus... Clearly you will need to scour the globe in search of that watch (maybe in stainless steel to complement your current beauty) - and then, only then you MIGHT rest your quest.

I for one love the results of the Spa - and would want to see you retain the original dial side by side in the box.

tmw57 Wrote:What makes this all the more interesting (to me anyway) is that this old dial appears to be a redial. Please note the redialers notch at 3:00.

Todd, as Michael says, the presence of a “notch” does not automatically mean a re-dial, just as the absence of a notch does not mean that a dial has not been refinished. Whilst a deep v-shaped notch is one sign that a dial has probably been redone, there are original dials (particularly pre-1960s) which carry a small notch from manufacture, but generally much shallower and more neatly executed than those made during re-dialling.

This is not specific to IWC; one needs to look to the dial makers rather than the watch manufacturer. The Z.J stamp on your dial was the trademark of Z.J Fluckiger & Cie, one of a number of independent Swiss dial manufactures, based in St-Imier. I understand that the company was subsequently acquired by Patek Philippe. I don’t have any specific knowledge of ZJ dials from the late 50s, but, as well as IWC, I collect vintage Rolex and have owned several 1950s pieces with (in my opinion) original Stern dials which had a similar tiny notch to the dial plate.

tmw57 Wrote:What makes this all the more interesting (to me anyway) is that this old dial appears to be a redial. Please note the redialers notch at 3:00.

Todd, as Michael says, the presence of a “notch” does not automatically mean a re-dial, just as the absence of a notch does not mean that a dial has not been refinished. Whilst a deep v-shaped notch is one sign that a dial has probably been redone, there are original dials (particularly pre-1960s) which carry a small notch from manufacture, but generally much shallower and more neatly executed than those made during re-dialling.

This is not specific to IWC; one needs to look to the dial makers rather than the watch manufacturer. The Z.J stamp on your dial was the trademark of Z.J Fluckiger & Cie, one of a number of independent Swiss dial manufactures, based in St-Imier. I understand that the company was subsequently acquired by Patek Philippe. I don’t have any specific knowledge of ZJ dials from the late 50s, but, as well as IWC, I collect vintage Rolex and have owned several 1950s pieces with (in my opinion) original Stern dials which had a similar tiny notch to the dial plate.

8541 Wrote:Todd, so here's the thing. You took a otherwise not really wearable watch, got it to those WIZZARDS OF SCHAFFHUASEN who in turn did their magic, and restored that Inge into a really handsome and beautiful timepiece!

I like Michael don't necessarily believe that the original dial because of the notch, is a redial. Probably, only intensive comparison with other pie pan dials from "same era" Inge's will shed more light. So there's your particular variant of übervirus... Clearly you will need to scour the globe in search of that watch (maybe in stainless steel to complement your current beauty) - and then, only then you MIGHT rest your quest.

I for one love the results of the Spa - and would want to see you retain the original dial side by side in the box.

Great post - great watch - nice dials!

Thanks Mark. And to think this all started because I fell in love with a black dial, ss 666! One day..Meanwhile my silver dial ss 666 fleabay special has become my "go to" watch. bestTodd